Building notes
What we know, written down properly
Clear advice from the people who design, source materials for and build TimberStone projects. Each guide answers a real client question and shows when you need advice for your own site.
Planning a project from abroad
Practical resources from TimberStone for preparing a brief and agreeing how to follow your build.
On site
Can building materials travel from Nairobi to Nanyuki by train?
Rail can be considered for a suitable bulk shipment from Nairobi to Nanyuki, but it needs a confirmed Kenya Railways freight service and quotation for the actual goods. Compare the complete trip, including loading, rail charges, unloading, storage, timing and the final movement to site.
Dennis Maina · 5 min readHow do you check building materials before accepting a delivery?
Check the material against the order before it is mixed, cut or installed. Confirm the item, grade or size, quantity, condition and delivery documents, then record any shortage or rejection immediately.
Dennis Maina · 6 min readWhere do building materials for a Nanyuki project come from?
Materials for a Nanyuki build may come from Nanyuki itself, Naro Moru, Chaka, Meru, Naivasha, Nairobi or another suitable source. The right choice depends on the drawing or specification, the quality available when you order, and what the material costs after transport and handling.
Dennis Maina · 5 min read
Why dry timber matters for your doors and furniture
A door that starts sticking or a table that develops gaps can be frustrating, especially when the finish looked perfect on delivery. Timber can change shape as its moisture changes. Drying it properly, making it well and keeping it in suitable conditions all help it perform better in your home.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 5 min readDesign and drawings
House plans explained: what you need before building
A picture helps you imagine your new home. Your builder also needs drawings that show the sizes, materials and details needed to build it. Here is a simple guide to the plans, engineering drawings and cost documents you will hear about as your project moves forward.
Planning a house? Here is what to tell your architect
You do not need to know architectural terms or arrive with a finished floor plan. Start with the home you want: who will live there, what you enjoy doing and what your current house gets wrong. Maurine Gitonga, TimberStone’s architect, can help you turn those ideas into a plan.
A five-bedroom bungalow for family life and visiting guests
A larger household needs more than extra bedrooms. It needs places to gather, somewhere quiet to work and enough room for cooking, laundry and storage. This five-bedroom bungalow idea from Maurine Gitonga includes a study, sunroom and separate TV room, with everything on one level.
A courtyard bungalow with room to spend time outside
If you want outdoor space close to the rooms you use every day, a courtyard is worth considering. This three-bedroom bungalow idea from Maurine Gitonga combines a courtyard, decks, a lounge and a separate TV room. Here is what to think about before making it your own.
Which three-bedroom bungalow would suit your family?
Two houses can have three bedrooms and still feel very different to live in. These bungalow ideas from Maurine Gitonga show why: one has a courtyard and separate TV room; the other has an outdoor kitchen and laundry. Think about how your family spends its day as you compare them.
A holiday home taking shape in Sweetwaters
A place to enjoy the views, a covered veranda to spend time outside, and room for the everyday jobs that keep a home running. Maurine Gitonga designed this two-bedroom holiday home in Sweetwaters, near Ol Pejeta. Here is how the plans connect to the house TimberStone is building.
Structural engineering
Choosing the concrete floor for an upper storey
An upstairs concrete floor is supported by the structure below rather than resting on the ground. It is often called a suspended slab. The choice affects room sizes, ceiling heights, services and cost, so it is worth discussing while the house is still being designed.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 3 min readThe steel inside your concrete: why the checks matter
The steel bars inside concrete help your house carry its loads safely. Once the concrete is poured, you cannot easily see whether those bars were in the right place. That is why the inspection before a pour matters, even when the steel looks neat and there seems to be plenty of it.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 4 min readCracks in your house: what should you do?
Finding a crack in your wall can be worrying. Some cracks are limited to the finish; others need a closer look at the building. Where the crack is, whether it is changing and what else is happening around it all matter. Here is how to record what you see and know when to ask for help.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 4 min readGood concrete: what to ask before the pour
Once concrete covers the steel and foundations, much of the work is hidden. That makes the checks before and during the pour especially important. As the client, you do not need to choose a mix yourself. You need to know who is checking it, how it will be tested and how it will be looked after.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 4 min readWhat foundation does your house need?
The right foundation depends on your ground and the house you want to build. A bungalow, an apartment block and a house on a slope can need very different solutions. Your engineer should explain the choice in terms of your plot, the building and the cost of doing the whole job properly.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 4 min readCan you build a house on black cotton soil?
Yes, but the foundation needs to suit the ground. Black cotton soil can swell when wet and shrink when dry. If different parts of the ground move by different amounts, walls and floors can crack. The first step is to find out what is beneath the part of your plot where the house will stand.
Eng. Samson Gitonga · 4 min readWho writes these
Every guide carries the name of the person responsible for that work. Meet our architect, civil and structural engineer, and the mechanical engineer who manages materials, logistics and workshop reliability.
Have a question none of these answer?
Send it to us. If it is a good question we will probably write it up, and either way you get an answer.